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Tinubu Eulogises Buhari, Renames University of Maiduguri after Ex-President
President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, renamed the University of Maiduguri after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose legacy of discipline, patriotism, and moral uprightness would continue to inspire future generations.
Tinubu, who spoke at the Special Session of the Federal Executive Council in Buhari’s honour at the State House in Abuja, said that although the late leader was not without flaws, his commitment to the country remained steadfast.
“President Buhari was not a perfect man, no leader is, but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man.
“His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten.
“His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God,” said the president.
He urged his ministers to govern with the restraint, discipline and moral clarity that defined the late former President.
The President described the passing of his predecessor as a wrap of his duty to the nation, saying, “Mai Gaskiya, the people’s general, the farmer president – your duty is done.”
Thursday’s expanded session is the first special FEC convened in Tinubu’s administration.
Tinubu framed the moment as more than a ceremony, saying, “Let us honour him not only with words, but with humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.”
He said Buhari’s private rectitude had illuminated his public life.
“The purity of his private character gave radiance to the discipline and integrity of his public service.
“He was first among soldiers in war, first among citizens in peace, and first, without ambition or flattery, in the hearts of his fellow citizens.
“Yet it was in the quiet and unadorned settings of his private life that his true greatness was revealed: pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality, temperate without coldness, and sincere without guile,” Tinubu added.
Recalling their long political partnership, Tinubu reminded colleagues that he and Buhari “stood together…alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum” to unite opposition forces and deliver “our country’s first true democratic transfer of power” when Buhari defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
He described Buhari’s low-profile retirement as an act of democratic restraint in a region where ex-leaders often remain kingmakers.
“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had.
“Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns,” Tinubu said.
Reflecting on Buhari’s time in office and his long military and civil service, Tinubu praised the late leader’s simplicity, humility, and stoic resistance to the trappings of power.
He said, “He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.
“His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.”
Tinubu thanked the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for organising a befitting state funeral within 48 hours, describing it as a “profound honour” to lead the burial procession in Daura.
concluded his tribute with a prayer: “Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”
At the close of the session, President Tinubu approved the renaming of the 50-year-old University of Maiduguri, Borno State, as the Muhammadu Buhari University.
“May we now adopt the renaming of the University of Maduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu said.
Buhari, 82, died in a London hospital on July 13 after a prolonged illness, his family announced.
His remains were flown to Katsina on July 15 and taken on to his hometown of Daura, where he was buried under Islamic rites. Tinubu declared seven days of national mourning and ordered flags flown at half-mast nationwide.
A former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that he needs clearance to visit Edo, saying he is not afraid to visit any State in Nigeria.
Obi made the remarks on Thursday, during the presentation of a N50 million cheque to his alma mater – Christ the King College (CKC) – in support of infrastructural development.
Obi expressed disappointment that his recent visit to Benin was politicised, clarifying that the visit was to support healthcare development in the State.
“I am not afraid of visiting any state in Nigeria, particularly when the purpose is to support causes that contribute to nation-building, such as education, health, and poverty alleviation,” Obi said.
The donation, made in collaboration with fellow old boys of the school, aims to improve educational facilities and learning conditions at the institution.
Obi described the gesture as a show of gratitude to the institution that shaped the values of himself and many others.
“This school helped form the values I and many others still hold dear today — discipline, moral grounding, and academic excellence. Supporting it is a way of giving back,” he added.
Obi called on other alumni of CKC and across the country to support their former schools, noting that the burden of educational development should not be left to the government alone.
In his remarks, the Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, also an Old Boy, commended Obi and others for their dedication to education and national development.
President Bola Tinubu has chided the opposition coalition formed on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a “coalition of confusion”.
Tinubu made the remark on Thursday at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, where the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, emerged as the party’s new National Chairman.
The president urged the party’s NEC to postpone the APC congresses until December to allow more members of the opposition to join the ruling party.
“It’s not a bad idea to abandon the sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” he said.
Tinubu’s closest rivals, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, are top members of the ADC coalition, which has vowed to unseat him in the 2027 election.
Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu for being overly focused on the 2027 election, despite lacking tangible achievements from his 2023 mandate.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku urged the President to prioritize addressing insecurity, reviving the economy, and refraining from interfering in opposition affairs.
During the inauguration of the newly appointed APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, President Tinubu suggested that more opposition figures would defect to the ruling party, remarking that “you can’t stop them from jumping out of a sinking ship.”
In response, Atiku said President Tinubu has made attacking the opposition a frequent habit, and urged him to instead focus on addressing his differences with Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The former Vice-President stated, “Attacking the opposition has now become his favourite pastime — even while the country burns under his watch. This constant attack on the opposition is a distraction by a man clearly overwhelmed by the mess in his own house.
“President Tinubu should first sort out the obvious rift between himself and Vice President Kashim Shettima and the broken Nigerian economy before poking his nose into the affairs of the ADC.
“We wish to state for the record that Tinubu and his political camp have been sponsoring crises within the opposition parties. It beats our imagination as to why the presidency is resorting to wasting scarce public funds to stir up internal conflicts in a bid to weaken alternative political voices.
“We are fully aware that the supposed tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the Coalition were orchestrated by the presidency. Unfortunately for them, their divisive game has failed – the cracks have been sealed, and the Coalition stands stronger than ever.”
Atiku accused President Tinubu of weaponizing state institutions, particularly anti-corruption agencies, to intimidate and coerce opposition leaders into defecting to the APC.
The statement continued, “It’s alarming that more than halfway into his controversial and widely rejected mandate, Tinubu is still leading an APC government that is directionless, incompetent, and completely disconnected from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
“While Nigerians grapple with worsening insecurity, hunger, and poverty, Tinubu is busy playing petty politics. He has abandoned governance and is fixated on a 2027 re-election campaign despite having nothing to show for his 2023 mandate.
“Rather than wipe out the bandits ravaging Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, and other states, Tinubu is more interested in wiping out opposition voices. His goal is clear: to force Nigeria into a one-party state.
“He is now using state institutions — especially anti-corruption agencies — as tools to harass and blackmail opposition leaders into joining the APC. But let the truth be told: Tinubu fears the Coalition. He knows it is the Coalition that will send him packing — either back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji.”
